But sometimes, when she's dropped a stitch or found that the tank top she's working on is far more scooped than she'd like, the whole idea of knitting as relaxation is laughable.

That's when she turns to her savior, When Bad Things Happen to Good Knitters: An Emergency Survival Guide. Written by knitting experts Marion Edmonds and Ahza Moore, the book is full of solutions to get a project back on track after any kind of knitting mishap.

Girlawhirl, who often jumps into a project without making a swatch to check her gauge, has learned the hard way why such lack of preparation is ok if she's working on a scarf, but not such a good idea when it's a cabled sweater. But Edmonds and Moore, knowing that there are plenty of impatient knitters out there, give suggestions for the kinds of projects – like pillows in addition to scarves – that won't be a disaster if they're begun without the all important gauge swatch.

But unfortunately, there is no solution or excuse for knitting directly from a skein of yarn… another one of Girlawhirl's gotta-get-right-to-it antics. That always results in a knotted mess of yarn about half way through the skein.

Girlawhirl found When Bad Things Happen to Good Knitters: An Emergency Survival Guide by Marion Edmonds and Ahza Moore in her online shopping mall at amazon.com

Girlawhirl Giveaway! A copy of When Bad Things Happen to Good Knitters: An Emergency Survival Guide by Marion Edmonds and Ahza Moore is part of this week's Girlawhirl Giveaway! You're already registered if you've signed up once and have a girlawhirl login. Not registered? sign up.

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Nov 17, 2006:

Girlawhirl hunkers down with a Cup of Yarn. read full entry